privateer
noun
an armed ship that is privately owned and manned, commissioned by a government to fight or harass enemy ships.
privateers
-
present tense formof privateer (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The U.S. can gain some leverage in the stalemate by reviving the law of prize, which governs ships seized during war, and by authorizing privateers to attack enemy shipping.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
In theory, pirates plunder and pillage outside the law, while corsairs were privateers regulated by authorities.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 11, 2024
The privateers were sponsored by the state, and set a ransom of 500 Guineas for Capt Lambton who was sailing The Stephenson from Bristol to Newcastle at the time.
From BBC ● May 17, 2023
She theorizes that fake dollars could be passed to privateers trading on the black market.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2016
Genêt’s first action in the United States was to hire American privateers, privately owned and manned ships, to attack and plunder British ships in the name of his government.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
